Denture device with a suction diaphragm

ABSTRACT

This invention pertains to a dental plate providing an enlarged aperture through the molded structural material thereof and a flexible diaphragm, molded into said material, in enclosing relation to the hole. Lever means are provided which is operable, after the dental plate is properly seated in the mouth to, first, expel the air between the dental plate structure and the gingival tissues of the mouth and, second, to selectively create a comfortable degree of partial vacuum between the dental plate and the gingival tissues to hold the dental plate firmly in place. Detent means are provided to lock the lever means in any of a plurality of positions.

United States Patent Fernandez [54] DENTURE DEVICE WITH A SUCTIONDIAPHRAGM [72] Inventor: Jose de Jesus Fernandez, 430 NE. 29th,

Miami, Fla. 33160 1 Feb. 29, 1972 Primary Examiner-Robert PeshockAttorney-John Cyril Malloy [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention pertains to adental plate providing an enlarged aperture through the moldedstructural material thereof and a flexible diaphragm, molded into saidmaterial, in enclosing relation to the hole. Lever means are providedwhich is operable, after the dental plate is properly seated in themouth to, first, expel the air between the dental plate structure andthe gingival tissues of the mouth and, second, to selectively create acomfortable degree of partial vacuum between the dental plate and thegingival tissues to hold the dental plate firmly in place. Detent meansare provided to lock the lever means in any of a plurality of positions.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 29, 1972 3,544,997

INVENTOR r/OSE DE vJESUS FER VHNDEZ HTTOR/UEX 1 DENTUREDEVICE WITH ASUCTION DIAPHRAGM STATE OF THE PRIOR ART Various structures have beenprovided to increase the suction action to maintain a dental platefirmly in place in the mouth of the wearer such as the suction cups ofsoft rubber which are embedded in the roof portion of a dental plate asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,352,614, to J. Lehner.

In U.S. Pat. No. 1,696,110, to O. Dobele, a device is employed whichprovides a flexible membrane having a small perforation therein whichcommunicates between the mouth of the wearer and a cavity in the uppersurface of the roof of the dental plate. In this device, the wearerforces his tongue against the diaphragm and withdraws it to pull apartial vacuum in the cavity, thereafter the inherent flexibility of themembrane is depended upon to close the perforation to maintain thepartial vacuum.

In the U.S. Pat. No. 2,165,558, to S. E. Linchitz and No. 2,510,184, toS. E. Lynn, small pressure actuated valves are provided, either withinone or more teeth or as a replacement for one or more teeth, which pulla partial vacuum on very small areas of the gingival tissues throughsmall bores in communication therewith.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,985, to .l. A. Graceffo discloses an enlarged covermembrane in the roof of an upper plate which provides a plurality ofvery small openings therethrough communicating between the palate and acheck valve opening through the roof of the dental plate. The checkvalve is operable to dispel air and saliva, upon the application ofupward pressure to the dental plate, to create a partial vacuum betweenthe plate and the palate. When it is desirable to increase the degree ofpartial vacuum, the tongue is pressed against the valve and withdrawnto, first, apply upward pressure and open the valve and to, second,close the valve and increase the degree of partial vacuum. The samepatent discloses a similar valve structure for a lower dental platewhich is operable by the application of pressure to some of the teeth tocreate a partial vacuum over a relatively small area of the lowergingival tissues.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The instant invention provides anupper dental plate with an enlarged opening through the roof portionwhich is completely enclosed by a flexible diaphragm. A lever means isoperably connected to the diaphragm to selectively flex said diaphragmin an upward or downward direction. The dental plate is inserted in themouth in the conventional manner and the lever means is operable in afirst direction, exteriorly of the dental plate, to expel the airbetween the upper surface of the roof of the plate and the palate of thewearer, and then in a second direction, to create the desired degree ofpartial vacuum to hold the dental plate firmly in place.

A detent means is provided to cooperate with the lever means to holdsaid lever means in a selected position to maintain the desired degreeof partial vacuum. In this manner the partial vacuum is evenly createdover a wide area of the palate and the degree of partial vacuum iscontrollable at all times when the denture is in place in the mouth.

Most of the dental plates previously designed to create partial vacuumseither apply the vacuum over a very small area of the gingival tissues,which is often dangerous with a possibility of resultant seriouscomplications, or provide no positive control by which the degree ofvacuum can be increased or decreased at will and then set or locked tomaintain the selected degree of partial vacuum.

While the device of the instant invention is illustrated and describedrelative to an upper dental plate, it is also applicable to a lowerdental plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of adental plate incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the dental plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; 1

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the diaphragm. and lever means of thepresent invention, removed from the dental plate; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5on FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings in which likereference numerals designate like or similar elements throughout thevarious views, the numeral 10 generally designates an upper dental platewhich is formed of a plastic material in the conventional manner.

The denture 10 includes a palate plate 12 and a gum portion 14 whichcarries the false teeth 16 in the conventional manner. As bestillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the palate plate 12 is provided with anenlarged, generally triangular shaped aperture 18 therethrough and'aflexible diaphragm 20, molded into the palate portion 12, whichcompletely closes said aperture 18.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the diaphragm 20 is of an enlarged, likeconfiguration relative to the aperture 18 and preferably provides aplurality of peripherally disposed perforations 22 closely adjacent theperipheral edge 24 of the diaphragm. The flexible diaphragm may beformed from plastic, rubber or various other compositions which wouldprovide the desired degree of body and flexibility and the perforations22 provide the means to lock the diaphragm in the structural material ofthe dental plate during the molding operation. Serrated or notched edgesmay likewise be employed for this purpose.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a compound lever means 26 isprovided which provides a generally U-shaped lever portion 28, thecentral portion of which is rotatably journaled in a downward tubularprojection 30 on the underside of the diaphragm 20. This projection 30may be formed integral with and of the same material as the diaphragm.One arm 32 of the compound lever 26 extends outwardly from the U shapedlever portion 28 and is rotatably journaled in a suitable socket 34 inone side 36 of the gum portion I4, and the other arm 38 extendsoutwardly from the U-shaped lever portion 28, in a generally opposeddirection through an aperture 40 in the other side 42 of the gum portion14. Outwardly of the side 42, the compound lever 26 terminates in agenerally'forwardly extending actuating lever 44. The distal end 46 ofthe actuating lever preferably is looped or turned back upon itself.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 the U-shaped leverportion 28 andthe actuating lever 44 of the compound lever means 26, as previouslydescribed, extend outwardly from the arms 32 and 38 in generally opposeddirections whereby downward pivotal movement of the actuating lever 44transmits an upward pivotal movement to the U-shaped lever portion 28and the diaphragm 20, as illustrated in FIG. 3 by the broken line 48, isexpanded upwardly. Upward pivotal movement of the actuating lever 44transmits downward movement to the diaphragm 20.

In use, the dental plate of the present invention is inserted in themouth and seated in the conventional manner. The actuating lever 44 isthen pivoted downwardly to expand the diaphragm 20 upwardly to expel theair and excess saliva, between the top surface of the dental plate andthe palate of the wearer, over a substantial area. Then the lever 44 ispivoted upwardly to transmit downward movement to the diaphragm 20, byreason of the pivotal connection between the U-shaped lever portion 28and the projection 30, to create a partial vacuum between the topsurface of the dental plate and the palate.

The amount of upward movement positively controls the degree of vacuumcreated therebetween and a comfortable adjustment can therefore be madeby the wearer. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, a plurality of ,detentnotches 50 are provided in the side 42 of the gum-portion '14, adjacentthe front thereof, which are positioned to be selectively engaged "H025mm by the actuating lever 44 to maintain the desired degree of partialvacuum.

While a preferred form of the present invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and changes can be made therein without departing from thetrue spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims,

What is claimed is:

l. A dental plate comprising A. a palate plate providing 1. an enlargedthrough aperture;

B. a flexible diaphragm enclosing said aperture;

C. a pivotal compound lever means providing 1. a first lever meanspivotally connected to said flexible diaphragm,

2. a second lever means operable to transmit pivotal movement to saidfirst lever means to selectively expand and retract said diaphragm.

2. A dental plate as defined in claim 1 in which said flexible diaphragmis integrally molded in said palate plate.

3. A dental plate as defined in claim 2 including a plurality ofperipherally disposed perforations adjacent the periphery of saidflexible diaphragm.

4. A dental plate as defined in claim 1 in which said compound levermeans is pivotally journaled in the dental plate and said first levermeans comprises a generally U-shaped, generally rearwardly extendinglever portion thereof.

5 A dental plate as defined in claim 4 in which said flexible diaphragmincludes a downwardly extending tubular extension and said U-shapedlever is rotatably journaled in said tubular extension.

6. A dental plate as defined in claim 1 in which said second lever meansextends generally forwardly, and exteriorly of said dental plate whensaid dental plate is seated in the mouth of a wearer.

7. A dental plate as defined in claim 6 including a plurality of detentnotches in the dental plate which are positioned to be selectivelyengaged by said second lever means.

2. a second lever means operable to transmit pivotal movement to saidfirst lever means to selectively expand and retract said diaphragm.
 2. Adental plate as defined in claim 1 in which said flexible diaphragm isintegrally molded in said palate plate.
 3. A dental plate as defined inclaim 2 including a plurality of peripherally disposed perforationsadjacent the periphery of said flexible diaphragm.
 4. A dental plate asdefined in claim 1 in which said compound lever means is pivotallyjournaled in the dental plate and said first lever means comprises agenerally U-shaped, generally rearwardly extending lever portionthereof.
 5. A dental plate as defined in claim 4 in which said flexiblediaphragm includes a downwardly extending tubular extension and saidU-shaped lever is rotatably journaled in said tubular extension.
 6. Adental plate as defined in claim 1 in which said second lever meansextends generally forwardly, and exteriorly of said dental plate whensaid dental plate is seated in the mouth of a wearer.
 7. A dental plateas defined in claim 6 including a plurality of detent notches in thedental plate which are positioned to be selectively engaged by saidsecond lever means.